


Fire Flower

by credens_justitiam



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hope's Peak Academy (Dangan Ronpa), Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), F/F, Festivals, Fluff, Maki doesn't know how to express her feelings, Pining, and Kaede is very oblivious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:29:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25149235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/credens_justitiam/pseuds/credens_justitiam
Summary: Maki goes to a local summer festival in a cumbersome outfit. She would never do these things on her own, but Akamatsu was always someone who dragged her out of her shell. She filled Maki's life with a blinding, dazzling light. Maki wasn't sure how much longer she can look.An entry for the day one prompt of Kaemaki Week 2020 on Tumblr, which is suit/dress.
Relationships: Akamatsu Kaede/Harukawa Maki
Comments: 15
Kudos: 37





	1. Simmer

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT 08/08/2020: I rewrote the end of this chapter a little bit because I realized that no festival game would have a food coupon as a prize, lmao. I thought I needed to write it that way for plot reasons in the next chapter, but then I realized I didn't have to... and some people have reached out to tell me that it was a little clunky. not that it's a bad thing to point out, of course! I'm glad people were willing to tell me so I can make it better c:
> 
> also yes, I'm still writing the final chapter of this, I know kaemaki week was over a month ago but I swear this will be finished if it's the last thing I do ahashdfsdfa

Maki’s head felt heavy. Her hair, normally draped across her back in long pigtails, was now braided and coiled atop her head like a bundle of snakes. Her hair pin was threaded through her braids and decorated with a dainty chain of dangling baubles. Whenever she turned her head, her hair swayed along in a way that made her feel like it was seconds from collapse. Despite that, the golden baubles on the hair pin tinkled cheerily with each step she took, as if they didn’t care at all for the precarious status of her hair. 

Maki looked over her yukata idly. Leaf patterns the color of glowing coal decorated the black fabric. Her sash was a similar golden color to her hair pin and was tied in a large bow in the back. Though her outfit was mercifully subdued in comparison to her elaborate hairstyle, she didn’t care for the way the silhouette of the dress restricted her ability to run.

Maki would rip all of it off if she didn’t care at all for the person walking beside her.

Akamatsu fawned over her appearance, her hair similarly braided and wrapped into a crown atop her head. She had swapped out her usual music note hair clips for vibrant orange flowers that stood out against her blonde hair. Sporting a wide smile and clad in a violet yukata with dreamy pink swirls and flower motifs, she was the picture of a festival-goer. 

“Maki-san, you look so pretty like this! The colors really suit you. You should wear your hair up more often—it’d look cute.”

Maki pursed her lips. Akamatsu was always like this, so frivolously giving out compliments. Which was foolish on the Akamastu’s part; Maki had told her from the very beginning of their high school years that she shouldn’t waste her breath on flattering someone like her. Akamastu had then responded in a half-scolding, half-determined tone.

 _Don’t be like that! Everyone deserves to be complimented,_ Akamatsu had replied at the time, undaunted by Maki’s shortness. _I’ll find a way to make you realize you’re just as worthy and lovable as the rest of us._

At that time, Maki had turned away from Akamatsu’s relentless positivity. If all her talk of friendship was the sun’s rays, Maki needed blackout curtains. But over the years, something changed between them. Or, at least, Maki’s attitude towards Akamatsu changed. There wasn’t a set point that Maki stopped merely tolerating Akamatsu’s presence, though. Sometime between all of Akamatsu’s invitations to eat at lunch together, to partner up in group projects, and to hang out after school activities, Maki began to want Akamatsu’s presence. 

Thinking that way, though, made Maki’s insides clench. She wasn’t meant to have _wants;_ wants were irrational and were stamped out of her a long time ago. But she couldn’t stop the way her chest felt uncomfortably tight whenever Akamatsu spoke to her, nor the way she impulsively agreed to go to the local summer festival with her a week ago.

All of these thoughts made Maki’s head pound. Her hands went up instinctively to play with her hair, only to remember that it was wound up at the back of her head. If she was with anyone else, she would have done the sensible thing: say she wasn’t feeling well and go home. (She shouldn’t have come in the first place.) But the idea of not only revealing her feelings to Akamatsu, but also leaving her after she had looked so excited to go to this stupid summer festival, stilled her tongue. She just had to pray that her physical discomfort wasn’t noticeable.

She then dropped her hands. Akamatsu had said her updo was cute. Maki found her hair annoying, but she didn’t have the will to say more than “it’s cumbersome” in disagreement. She fixed her gaze on the road ahead of her, where crowds began to gather in front of the various stalls selling food and merchandise.

“Maybe it is, but it’s for a special occasion, right?” Akamatsu ushered them through without waiting for a response, though Maki didn’t take offense to such an action. It was better than Akamatsu noting her discomfort.

Their first stop was a tented area staffed by a middle-aged woman. The focus of the tent was the inflatable pool in the middle, filled with water and colorful fish. A few younger children crowded around the rim of the pool, chasing after the fish with small nets, calling out to them and begging the fish to let themselves be caught.

“Ah, goldfish scooping!” Akamatsu clapped her hands together in delight. “I haven’t done this in a long time, so this feels super nostaglic. Maki-san, have you done this before?”

Maki fidgeted with her sleeve. “I have. I’ve been to festivals like this with the others. Though it was mostly to help the younger kids out.” Since they had a limited amount of funds to buy nets, it was best to let the younger kids have their fun, otherwise they’d never shut up about the unfairness and wanting one of the little fish even though the nets were designed to break before they could get caught. Though in a way, it was better the activity was rigged in the first place, since there was no room in the orphanage to keep the fish.

“Then, since it’s just us two, you should have your own chance to try.” Akamatsu’s excited tone indicated not just her attempt to convince Maki, but also her own interest in trying. “It’ll be fun!”

A few years ago, Maki would’ve cited the pointlessness of the game and declined. But in the present day, she was having an increasing amount of trouble saying no to Akamatsu’s shining eyes. 

She turned away, unable to look any longer. “We’ll have to wait for our turn.”

Despite looking away, Maki could practically feel Akamatsu radiate happiness like a space heater. “Yeah!”

While Akamatsu was distracted by cheering on the younger children and engaging them in conversations about the various fish (it seemed that no matter where she went, she attracted people like flies to honey), Maki retrieved her purse from within her sleeves and paid for two sets of nets and bowls from the vendor. When she returned to where Akamatsu stood, Maki poked Akamatsu’s arm with her nets.

“Here, it looks like there’s a spot available for you now,” she said, angling her head towards a newly vacated space.

Akamatsu took the set of nets, confusion evident on her face. “Wait, Maki-san, did you pay for these?”

Maki looked back steadily. “Yes, why? Did you think I stole them?”

“What? No!” Akamatsu shook her head emphatically. “No, of course not. What I meant was—I was surprised that you got them for me. I could’ve paid too, you know.”

“It doesn’t matter… it wasn’t a lot,” Maki mumbled, looking away. She marched over and knelt by the pool on unsteady legs, her own bowl and nets in hand, even as Akamatsu protested. It seemed no matter what face she made, she was too bright to look at.

“Ah, wait, Maki-san, your yukata’s touching the ground.” Akamatsu lowered herself to the ground, holding her nets and hoisting the fabric of her own yukata with one hand. “Why don’t I hold your bowl as you fish? That way you can use your net in one hand and hold up your yukata so it doesn’t get dirty.”

Saying that, Akamatsu set down her own bowl and took the bowl Maki had, holding it up in a way so that it was never far from Maki’s net. Their current position, however, forced them to be in close proximity to one another. They were essentially knee to knee, shoulder to shoulder, and as Akamatsu leaned in, the scent of her strawberry shampoo was dizzying. This, physically, had more repercussions on Maki; her heart thumped uncomfortably within her chest, and she was aware of the heat and sweat on her face.

“Maki-san? Are you okay?” Akamatsu asked. Her eyes scanned worriedly over Maki. “You’ve been staring a lot.”

 _Shit_. Maki’s heart raced from trying to come up with a believable excuse. “Just deciding which fish I wanted.”

Her heart rate picked up tenfold at Akamatsu’s laugh. “Are you sure? You were staring at me. Does my face remind you of the fish?”

Even though Maki was certain the laugh was at Maki’s expense, she wasn’t at all offended by it. Quite the contrary; Akamatsu’s laughter was gentle and swept over Maki like a parent’s soothing caress.

Maki swallowed uncomfortably. Words were never her forte. She scanned her eyes over Akamatsu again and spotted the bright orange flower clips in her hair. “I wanted to see which one would match your hair clips the most.”

Despite her lame reasoning, Akamatsu looked taken aback at first. But then she smiled so widely her eyes closed. She said cheerfully, “I never painted you for a romantic. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were hitting on me.”

A wave of heat washed over Maki. What was that supposed to mean? Her, a romantic? Hitting on Akamatsu? The thought should’ve never crossed her mind in a million years, yet like with so many things she’d done in her high school years, Akamatsu seemed to make the impossible possible. Maki would’ve never gone to group studies or sleepovers without Akamatsu. She would’ve never worn a yukata nor played a festival attraction meant for children again if it weren’t for her. She would’ve never put the effort into studying a person and gifting them something they’d like based on those efforts. Especially not that last part; because those were things a person did when they liked another person, when they had feelings towards them. The idea however, that Maki felt something more than a cautious neutrality towards Akamatsu made her legs feel weak. That couldn’t be true… yet if the impossible could become the possible with Akamatsu around, would it mean that Maki really…?

Liked Akamatsu…?

“Maki-san?”

Somewhere in the midst of her panic, some part of her brain, hardwired to act during times of emergency, kicked her. _Stop. Focus._ Her mouth moved before she could register her words. “I think… the heat is getting to me a bit. I’m fine though.”

Her lie was partially true. She felt unnaturally hot, though the warm festival weather wasn’t the cause. It was her own body heat, caused by her heart pumping hot blood at a fast rate, that made her sweat. Maki never considered things like dating before, always thinking it was something others would do, never her, but there was no denying the fluttering feeling within the pit of her stomach. She never thought she’d feel these feelings; it was like they were someone else’s, transplanted into her body like programming into a computer. She felt like she was in a movie. Like she was an actress playing the role of a lovestruck heroine.

Dwelling on the matter, though, made Maki feel sick to her stomach. She couldn’t afford to falter in front of Akamatsu any more than she already had. Thus she wordlessly shoved her net into the water in the pursuit of a random fish. She was so hasty that her hand submerged into the water along with the net, startling the fish nearby into a small frenzy. They darted away from the epicenter of the splash, creating a small patch in the pool devoid of anything but ripples.

“Maki-san!” Akamatsu yelped in surprise.

Maki bit her lip. She retrieved her net and looked at the dripping paper, which had broken instantly upon impact. What an incredibly stupid move. “Sorry. I don’t know what made me do that.”

In spite of the wasted net, Akamatsu laughed again, louder this time and filled with delight. “So even someone as unflappable as Maki-san can get too excited over goldfish scooping! That’s really cute!”

Maki opened her mouth to object, but closed it again out of embarrassment. Akamatsu had always called her cute, but why now of all times was Maki getting so shaken up? If the whole day was going to turn out like this… 

“It’s okay,” Akamatsu reassured. Her smile was gentle and sympathetic, two things Maki could never get used to. “You still have two more nets, and I have mine as well. If we work hard together, then we’ll definitely succeed! Right?”

Maki was too caught off guard to disagree. “Yeah.”

Akamatsu declared, “it’s settled then! Maki-san, tell me which one you were looking for, and I’ll hold my bowl nearby.”

“Yeah,” Maki eloquently said again. The fish in the space in front of them had recovered from the shock of Maki’s earlier attempt at fishing. One bright orange fish in particular swam into view apart from the others. Maki pointed to it with a finger.

“This one.”

“Okay! Ready when you are,” Akamatsu confirmed, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Maki skimmed the surface of the water as gingerly as she could, knowing that the fragile paper would soon break. The fish they were after, however, had other ideas. It began to struggle as soon as the net disturbed the water in front of it. Though Maki did her best to chase it into Akamatsu’s waiting bowl, the net broke shortly afterwards.

Akamatsu didn’t look daunted in the least. “You still have one more try! Give it your best shot!” She encouraged, nudging her with a shoulder.

Biting her lip, Maki nodded and began to strategize. Though she felt silly for doing so for such a simple festival game, she figured Akamatsu wouldn’t accept a half-hearted attempt. Since the limited amount of time a net could stay in the water meant a slow and cautious approach didn’t work, then a more swift approach might. She explained as much to Akamatsu, who listened with a rapture more suited for a boot camp platoon.

“I’ll try to scoop the fish up as fast as I can. The momentum might be enough to carry the fish into the bowl even if it struggles.” Akamatsu nodded so eagerly, Maki thought her head would come off. “Like flipping a pancake! As long as you can get it into the air, it’s okay if the net breaks.”

Maki shrugged at the weird analogy. “I don’t know about that, but that’s my reasoning.”

“Alright!” Akamatsu cheered enthusiastically. “Third time’s the charm!”

Though the original bright orange fish had long vanished into the crowd, there were plenty of other orange fish to be found. Amongst the myriad of colors and slowly moving fins and tails, one drew away from the others.

“This one. Get ready.” Maki waited for Akamatsu to prepare the bowl. She lowered the net towards the water, slowly so as to not startle the fish. Then, jerking her wrist, she tried to usher the fish swiftly into the bowl.

Though a decent amount of water sloshed into the bowl, the fish ultimately escaped the sudden current Maki created. Akamatsu let out a disappointed noise.

“Aww, come on! We were so close,” she cried as Maki discarded the now useless nets into a wastebasket. In a way, Akamatsu reminded her of the other orphanage kids whenever something didn’t go their way. The puffed cheeks, the stuck out bottom lip; the signs of frustration were all there. Maki didn’t find her bratty like the younger children, though. The way Akamatsu wore her heart on her sleeve always came off as sincere to Maki.

“Don’t be discouraged,” Maki said, taking the bowl from Akamatsu and emptying the water back into the pool. “You still have three more chances. Maybe you can… do better than I did.”

Instantly Akamatsu’s expression brightened. “Yeah! Gosh, you’re right—what am I getting so disappointed for?”

Then, so radiantly Maki feared she would go blind, Akamatsu beamed and giggled. “Thanks, Maki-san. I would’ve given up if you weren’t here with me.”

Maki averted her gaze, looking steadfastly at Akamatsu’s shoulder rather than at her eyes. “It’s just goldfish scooping.” Such an activity really wasn’t worth making a big deal out of, but it was just like Akamatsu to care so much about teamwork.

More quietly, she muttered, “but you wouldn’t have.”

“I wouldn’t have what?” Akamatsu asked, tilting her head in confusion.

“You—” Maki clamped her mouth shut, debating on whether she should answer. But some force compelled her to open her mouth again. “You wouldn’t have given up. Whether I’m here or not, it doesn’t matter. You’re just… that kind of person who doesn’t give up.”

“That kind of person…” Akamatsu echoed absently, then snapped to attention so suddenly that Maki started. “Wait, no, don’t say that!”

Now it was Maki’s turn to be confused. “Say what? Do you think I’m lying? You’re always the last one to give up when it comes to these sorts of things—”

“No,” Akamatsu interrupted, “don’t say that it doesn’t matter whether or not you’re here. That’s not true.”

Maki was unconvinced, but if she voiced that, she knew Akamatsu would get upset. So she let out a tentative “okay…”

But apparently it wasn’t enough, since Akamatsu puffed her cheeks again. “No, say it. Repeat after me, ‘it matters that I’m here. It matters that I’m by Akamatsu Kaede’s side.’”

“Don’t be absurd,” Maki mumbled, furrowing her brow. “‘I’m by Akamatsu Kaede’s side?’ I’m not pledging myself to you. This isn’t a yakuza film.” A yakuza film crossed with a shoujo manga, if she were to consider their setting of a tent hosting a children’s game at an ordinary local festival.

“Say it,” Akamatsu repeated with a sudden conviction that made Maki do a double-take. “‘It matters that I’m here. It matters that I, Harukawa Maki, am by Akamatsu Kaede’s side.’”

“Now you’re making me say my full name too?” Maki asked, but she knew there was no getting around Akamatsu once she was determined.

Akamatsu really was like the sun. Radiant, benevolent, all consuming. She shone with the conviction of the heavens. No matter what, she rose in the sky each day. So if she wanted Maki to affirm her self-worth, then Maki had no choice but to do so, whether she wanted to repeat some silly phrase or not.

Reluctantly, Maki went in a low voice, “it matters that I’m here. It… It matters that I, Harukawa Maki, am by Akamatsu Kaede’s side.”

For no reason at all, saying hers and Akamatsu’s full name made her cheeks prickle with heat. A little pathetic, considering that Maki wasn’t even looking at Akamatsu in the eye while she said it. They stayed like that, facing each other, for a few tense moments without breaking the silence between them. For a second, Maki thought Akamatsu would break out the ‘say it like you mean it’ phrase like Maki had to many times during her time in the orphanage. But, mercifully, her begrudging repetition seemed to be enough for Akamatsu. 

She graced Maki with a pleased smile that lit the area. “Good! It’s good that you said that.” 

Maki couldn’t stop herself from asking, “and why is that?” 

“Because it’s true.” Akamatsu’s eyes glimmered with something extra bright. “I wouldn’t be having fun if you weren’t here, Maki-san.”

“Right,” Maki faltered. “I guess… I wouldn’t be having fun. If you weren’t here either.”

“Then it’s good that we’re both here. Thank you for coming here with me.” Akamatsu looked at Maki gratefully and Maki didn’t know how to handle it. Her mouth went dry before she could formulate a response.

Fortunately, she didn’t have to as Akamatsu spoke again. “The day has only just begun, but we’re already having so much fun!”

Maki bit back a huff. She wanted to say she didn’t care either way whether she caught the fish or not. But something about Akamatsu’s smiling face made Maki feel more determined somehow.

* * *

“Gosh, the paper nets are just too fragile!” Akamatsu huffed. Their last paper net had broken, leaving the two girls with empty fishing bowls, and in Akamatsu’s case, disappointment.

Maki straightened up, feeling a mild strain in her legs from squatting for so long. “They are,” she agreed. 

Akamatsu mirrored her. “Too bad, I wouldn’t have minded getting a pet.”

“Would you have even been able to care for it? You’d have to get a tank, food, and cleaning supplies on the way home,” Maki pointed out. “Not to mention, you’d have to carry it the whole time, or leave early.”

“Well, yeah,” Akamatsu acquiesced. Maki supposed she was far used to her realistic approach to life. “But those would’ve been minor inconveniences at most. Besides…”

Maki hadn’t been looking when Akamatsu trailed off, instead scanning their surroundings idly. But when Akamatsu didn’t speak up for a bit, Maki glanced over to see Akamatsu pouting. “What?” “It’s just that, it wouldn’t have hurt to have a souvenir from this festival. Something to commemorate the time we spent together.” Akamatsu put a hand to her cheek, a disappointed expression on her face. “Wouldn’t it have been cute if we caught and raised a fish together?”

What the hell.

“What.” Maki furrowed her brows at that. “Don’t assume we’ll share custody of a fish, of all things. That’s just…”

Perhaps Akamatsu was oblivious to the fact, but her wording rather eerily evoked the image of a couple talking about starting a family. And there were just so many things wrong with it that Maki didn’t know where to start—the parts that made her the most uneasy were ‘couple’ and ‘family,’ seeing as her life lacked such relationships ever since she could remember. Suddenly a pit was forming in her stomach, as if her anxiety from earlier came back and solidified into a solid stone. 

But just as quickly, Akamatsu waved a hand through the air with a laugh.“Haha, I’m just joking though! You looked so serious for a second, Maki-san.”

“Ah.” The embarrassment she felt when she shoved the net into the water came back in full force, no doubt staining her cheeks a color as pink as the swirls on Akamatsu’s yukata. “I see.” 

Mortifyingly, Akamatsu took notice and placed a hand on her forehead. “Maki-san? You’re looking a little flushed there. Is the heat getting to you again?”

Physical contact from Akamatsu wasn’t new—Maki had been on the receiving end of many touches from her. Akamatsu was just naturally affectionate like that. But her aura of tenderness and concern made Maki want to shrivel up on the spot. She was just too much for her.

But if Maki didn’t respond soon, then Akamatsu would go mother hen on her and take her to the hospital. So with difficulty she responded, “y-yeah.”

“Okay, I’ll get you something to drink so you can cool down. Why don’t you rest somewhere?” Akamatsu glanced around this way and that, trying to find a suitable place to sit. Her eyes finally landed upon a sidewalk fixture with small trees growing within it, one that was made of concrete. Though it wasn’t meant for sitting, a few other festival goers had thought the same idea and had taken refuge underneath the shade.

“Ah, there!” Akamatsu swiftly ushered Maki to the area, pushing down onto her shoulders in a way that gave her no choice but to sit. “Wait for me right, alright?”

Maki watched as Akamatsu’s retreating form got swallowed into the crowd, leaving her in the shade. Though Maki was hardly unused to being on her lonesome, something about not having Akamatsu in her sights was… not right. It bothered her. It was irrational, but it bothered her. Maki wasn’t paranoid enough to think that Akamatsu would suddenly get attacked in broad daylight at a crowded festival, but the thought of not seeing her made her feel uncomfortable. Maybe it was the effect of the stupid phrase Akamatsu made her say earlier, with the idea of Maki mattering while she was at Akamatsu’s side whispering in the back of Maki’s brain. 

Then there was Akamatsu’s disappointment at not having a souvenir from the festival. She probably didn’t expect to have to look after Maki while she felt dizzy from feeling a hand on her forehead, of all things, yet she didn’t hesitate at all to hurry off to get something cold for her to drink. She invited Maki to the festival to have a good time, yet here Maki sat uselessly under the shade when it wasn’t even that hot outside. Akamatsu must think she has a weak constitution.

_It wouldn’t have hurt to have a souvenir from this festival. Something to commemorate the time we spent together._

If Maki woke up that morning and knew that all they had to commemorate their day out together was Maki overreacting to everything Akamatsu did to her, then she wouldn’t have bothered dressing up and coming with her. Even though Akamatsu went out of her way to invite her to her place, let her pick out a yukata, and sat her down in front of the mirror for an hour while she did her hair. Maki was never one for kind gestures, much less friendships, but this was… 

If there was one thing she learned from living at an orphanage with limited resources, it was that she should never squander away what was given to her. 

So for her to be sitting pathetically underneath the sparse shade of a few trees was just… 

God, what was Maki doing?

A cheerful voice called out to her, making Maki look up from the hole she was no doubt staring into the pavement. “Maki-san, I’m back!”

In Akamatsu’s hands were two bottles of ramune with colorful labels dotted with condensation. She sat one bottle down, then took the bit of plastic attached to the top of the other. With a decisive hand, she forced down the marble that stopped the bottle and opened the drink. “Here!”

Maki felt a bit of bile rise in her throat from the amount of frustration she felt. None was directed towards Akamatsu, of course, but it made her take the bottle with a bit more force than necessary. 

“I could’ve opened it myself,” she mumbled before she could stop herself. It seemed today had consisted of digging herself into a deeper and deeper hole, and this moment was no exception.

Luckily, Akamatsu only smiled and opened her own ramune. “Aww, no ‘thank you?’ I didn’t make you wait that long, did I?”

“No, I—I didn’t mean to say that—” Maki quickly replied, but then she stopped herself. If she didn’t mean that, then what _did_ she want to say? Words of gratitude? Apology?

“It’s okay.” Akamatsu took a sip of her drink, lips curled around the top in what Maki thought was a smile. “The pouty face you make when you’re impatient is kinda cute. It makes me think of a spoiled little princess.”

Then Akamatsu laughed, openly and freely. The sound rang in Maki’s ears and filled her from head to toe with a fluttery feeling. “Hehehe, did you get it? The joke I made based on your name?”

Feeling as though her heart had lodged in her throat, Maki nodded. “Y-Yeah, I did,” she forced out. She took a swig of her drink to excuse herself from saying anything more damning. The sugary sweet lemonade flavor cut across her tongue and fizzled down her throat in a way that made Maki cough.

Against her better judgement, Maki tried to continue the conversation. “So what’s next? Do you want to try another game?”

“Sure! I haven’t given up on winning a prize to take home.” Akamatsu pumped her fist. “Even if the games are rigged, that doesn’t mean they’re impossible. We’re bound to win at some point.”

“You’re not worried about the cost?” Maki asked.

Akamatsu just gave her a determined smile. “We’ll just win before it gets to that point! So I’ll be counting on you!”

“Don’t expect too much…” For the second time today, Maki tried to fidget with her hair. She, of course, couldn’t, seeing as how it was still wound up on her head. But she supposed that there was a game in mind that she could probably win, even if it was rigged. Even if Maki loathed to use her talent, if there was anything she learned from that idiot Momota, then it was that her past didn’t define her, and that she could apply the skills she learned in a way that helped people.

* * *

_Pop!_

Maki studied the trajectory of the toy gun’s foam pellet. It skewed slightly to the side and missed what she was originally aiming for—a small cutout of a bird with a bullseye painted onto it—by at least several centimeters. Several similar bird cutouts were mounted on moving plates that cycled in front of and behind obstacles like trees, clouds, and flowers. She was allowed eleven more shots and had to hit at least five targets in order to choose from the best prize pool.

Maki exhaled and hoisted up the toy gun. Two meters: that was the laughable distance between herself and her targets. The targets themselves moved in predictable enough patterns, never vanishing from view for more than a few seconds. Even with a faulty weapon, Maki knew how to aim even with both eyes shut. Thus she squeezed the trigger again.

_Pop!_

The pellet flew through the air and struck a bird cutout. Akamatsu, who was hovering over Maki’s shoulder, cheered as it toppled over. “Nice shot!”

Maki didn’t want to get distracted by Akamatsu’s voice, as encouraging as it was, but she also didn’t want to upset her by ignoring her outright. So she merely grunted, hopefully loud enough for Akamatsu’s pianist ears to pick up amidst the noise of the crowd, and readjusted. Her eyes trailed down the length of the colorful barrel and tracked her targets.

_Pop!_

Maki struck a bird’s eye right as it peeked out from a tree. Missed the bullseye, but it went down regardless.

 _Pop!_

Maki downed a bird just before it darted behind a cloud, striking an outer ring. She could do better.

_Pop! Pop! Pop!_

Finally, three consecutive bullseyes. At this point, Maki could completely screw up the rest of her shots and still get the prize, but she’d be lying if she didn’t feel at least a tiny bit pleased about how Akamatsu’s eyes remained fixated on her efforts. She had flinched the first few times Maki fired the air gun from the noise, but now she looked as awestruck as if she was watching a lunar eclipse.

Her remaining five shots were as clean as her previous shots, perfect bullseyes that left the shooting gallery littered with downed cutouts and foam pellets. Maki set down the air gun down on the barrier she stood behind. Then she only just stopped herself from jumping out of her skin as applause rang out behind her.

Maki spun around to see that a small crowd of people had gathered around the shooting gallery. She barely had the time to wonder when they got there when Akamatsu threw her arms around her.

“Maki-san, you’re amazing!” Akamatsu’s arms wound around her tightly, and, to Maki’s intense embarrassment (or enjoyment?) she lifted her off the ground with the force of the hug. “You made eleven out of twelve shots just like that!”

Once again, Maki could feel herself growing flushed under all the attention she was receiving, though now, humiliatingly, a bunch of other people were watching. “A—Akamatsu!”

“Oops, sorry!” Akamatsu immediately set her down, smiling sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to crush you there.”

That definitely wasn’t one of Maki’s concerns, but then the dumbstruck game operator told her it was time to choose whatever prizes she wanted.

“I’m not interested in anything here,” Maki said truthfully, eyes quickly scanning over various items like giant bags of cotton candy and glow in the dark apparel. She wouldn’t have minded some of the plushies if they weren’t ridiculously large—she was not willing to lug around a giant teddy bear for the rest of the day.

Akamatsu looked at her with disbelief. “Are you sure, Maki-san? There are a lot of cool things here.”

“I am. I’d prefer it if you chose something, actually.” All Maki wanted at that point was to leave so people would stop staring at her so incredulously. Her eyes glanced off towards the side, where most people were clustered, and hoped Akamatsu knew what she meant. 

In a low voice, she added, “as soon as possible.”

To Maki’s relief, Akamatsu nodded vigorously, maybe even a little too vigorously. “No problem! Then we’ll take this… this plushie!”

Akamatsu pointed at random towards a stuffed teddy bear. It didn't look special, just having standard brown fur and a red ribbon around its neck, but nevertheless Akamatsu looked excited as she held it in her arms.

"Look how cute it is!" she squealed. Maki, however, must have had a particularly uncomfortable look on her face, because Akamatsu immediately shifted gears and took her arm. "Now that we have this, let's go get some food!" 

Without waiting for a response, Akamatsu began to drag her towards the nearest food stall, cutting through the crowd. Some of the spectators smiled and complimented her as they passed, to which Maki could only accept with a stiff nod.

Time always seemed to fly with Akamatsu around. Soon the day would be over and the festival would commence its evening activities. Even though Akamatsu made Maki's head spin, she had to admit that she wasn't looking forward to going home at the end of the night.


	2. Bloom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ever since they started hanging out together, the cause of all her confusing feelings had increasingly been Akamatsu. The more time Maki spent with her, the more she invaded her thoughts and made her feel a wider scope of emotions than she believed possible. They bubbled within her and made her stomach feel light yet uneasy, as if she downed a whole case of ramune all at once. Maki was never prepared to handle such an internal struggle like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The long-awaited conclusion to Fire Flower! Sorry to make y'all wait for so long, but I hope this is a satisfying conclusion! 
> 
> also, I reworked the ending of the first chapter a bit because it sounded a little weird. it doesn't change much in terms of plot though!

“Whoops, it looks like there’s only one toothpick.” Akamatsu held a carton filled with piping hot takoyaki drizzled with sweet sauce and mayonnaise. The steam caused the bonito flakes on top to flutter like a flock of birds.

“You can take it then,” Maki replied. “I’ll use my fingers.”

Akamatsu shook her head. “No way, you might touch your yukata afterward and get it dirty.”

Maki frowned. “The same applies to you.”

“Yeah, well—” Akamatsu’s eyebrows knit together in both concentration and frustration.

Maki sighed and began to stand. “I’ll just go get another—”

“Why don’t I feed you?” 

The words rang throughout Maki’s head. Incredulously she went, “what?”

Akamatsu had the decency to look embarrassed, though not very. She just as quickly regained her resolve, stabbing a takoyaki ball enthusiastically. “The stand’s too far away, so don’t trouble yourself. We’re already sharing, so sit down and let me feed you.”

Akamatsu waved the takoyaki in front of Maki. Again it seemed that ‘no’ would not be an acceptable answer, so Maki sighed resignedly and opened her mouth. Her teeth closed around it, and…

It was hot.

_Really hot._

Which made sense, because they got it only a few minutes ago. The sauce and mayonnaise cooled down the outside of it somewhat, but biting into it unleashed its piping hot insides right into Maki’s mouth.

“Fuuhck,” she cursed around a mouthful of filling. She could feel steam on the roof of her mouth. She put a hand to her lips and turned so Akamatsu couldn’t see her struggle.

“Maki-san?” Akamatsu asked, looking genuinely confused. “Are you saying that because it’s too hot or because it’s really good?”

An irritated ‘ _what do you think?’_ was Maki’s mental answer, but her mouth was too busy being burned to speak it into existence. So she focused on swallowing it, following it with a long drag of ramune to chase the remaining heat down her throat. The carbonation bubbled uncomfortably against her burned tongue.

Akamatsu laughed nervously. “I take it that it was too hot?”

Maki turned towards Akamatsu, and in one swift movement, she took the toothpick from her hand and jabbed a takoyaki ball. “Why don’t you find out?”

Akamatsu’s nervous laughter increased. She tried to shield her face with her empty hand. “W-Wait! I’m sorry! Ehehe!”

Maki wasn’t so childish as to actually force the ball into her mouth, but she did get close enough times to make Akamatsu almost spill the rest of them. Thus Maki finally relented and ate it herself. Waving it around cooled it down to a reasonable temperature, though the inside of her mouth still tingled from the heat.

Akamatsu snatched the toothpick from her and pouted. “Hey, no fair! Don’t eat all of them!”

“You were trying to avoid eating one a second ago,” Maki said, though she made no move to take it back.

Akamatsu took a takoyaki ball for herself and blew on it. In between breaths she said, “that’s because they were still hot and you were trying to force it into my mouth!” 

She looked like she had more words to scold Maki with, though once she popped a ball into her mouth her eyes widened. “Mmm, so tasty!”

Akamatsu’s whole face lit up with a smile. She clapped her hands together happily and bounced in her seat. Seeing her do that, Maki knew she must have really liked it—she reacted the same way whenever they went to a cafe and got one of the fancy pancake dishes that were more sugar than breakfast. She was exactly like a kid who was allowed to get as many toppings as they wanted on a sundae.

Maki couldn’t help but make a comment. “I bet it tastes better when your mouth isn’t burned.”

Akamatsu deflated instantly. “I said I was sorry!” But just as quickly she turned and fixed Maki with a curious look.

“What?” Maki asked.

“Are you smiling?” There was an odd note to her voice; Akamatsu was brimming with some emotion unknown to Maki. But what Maki did know was that she was definitely not smiling. It’s not like she had any reason to, with her burnt mouth and all. 

So she answered with a flat “no.”

Yet, strangely, it took more effort to press her lips into a neutral expression. Akamatsu caught onto her struggle like a homing missile.

“You totally are!” She exclaimed, gathering the attention of more than a few passersby. “Oh my gosh, Maki-san is smiling!”

Feeling hot under the stares of multiple people, Maki shushed her. 

“I’m not,” she hissed. “Quiet down, people are looking.”

Akamatsu ignored her with a maddeningly bright smile. “You are! You totally are!”

Maki blushed hotly. “I said shut it!” 

To Maki’s chagrin, Akamatsu seemed even more emboldened by her attempts to quiet her. “Aww, you’re just sooo adorable. Forget the takoyaki; I’ll eat _you_ up if you get any more adorable than this!”

As if she couldn’t get any more infuriating, Akamatsu reached over and pinched her cheek. Maki swatted at her arm, knowing full well the spectacle they were making. Through one eye (the other was smushed shut by her pinched cheek) she could see a few people glancing their way and grinning. For a few agonizing seconds Akamatsu held her captive that way, though it might’ve been years for the effect the whole ordeal had on Maki’s psyche. She was so embarrassed, and yet she couldn’t get her face to scowl at Akamatsu.

“You’re _impossible._ ” Maki muttered, rubbing at her face to ease away the imprint Akamatsu’s fingers surely left.

“And you’re impossibly cute, Maki-san, but you don’t see me complaining,” Akamatsu teased some more. Her face shifted into something more solemn, though still upbeat. “But seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile so much like this. It’s really nice.”

“Is it.” Maki didn’t have a better reply than that. Was it really that big of a deal? She couldn’t imagine that her smile was anything special, especially not in comparison to Akamatsu’s. She lit up the room and drew others into her orbit like the sun. Maki, on the other hand, didn’t care to have people try to get buddy-buddy with her, and never had a particular reason to smile. 

Akamatsu broke her out of thoughts by putting a hand on her wrist. “I didn’t upset you too much, did I?”

Again with her wide-eyed puppy look. Maki glanced away. “No, it’s fine. You can get annoying sometimes but…”

_I don’t mind._

The words stalled in her throat. They shouldn’t have been hard to say, but once again Akamatsu made it hard for Maki to spit out what she wanted to say. Because if she was fully honest with herself, even if Akamatsu was annoyingly bright and cheery, Akamatsu was still a friend. Maki didn’t like when people watched as she got her cheeks pinched, but being on the receiving end of Akamatsu’s affection was… nice. 

Akamatsu gave a small, half-hearted laugh. “Yeah, I know.”

“You do?” Maki was still halfway in her thoughts, so she didn’t fully process what Akamatsu was saying, but she knew that was definitely _not_ what she wanted to say. The small smile on Akamatsu’s face wasn’t like her usual ones, and it made Maki’s mouth feel dry. “No, Akamatsu, I—”

But Akamatsu only bumped her shoulder against Maki’s. “It’s alright, I understand. Next time I do something like that, I’ll listen if you tell me to stop.”

Somehow Maki’s throat felt clamped shut. She wanted to say that no, Akamatsu didn’t understand, Maki didn’t think she was annoying, but the window for a response closed before Maki could form the words in her mind. She did feel annoyance and frustration, but those were mostly directed towards herself and her inability to tell Akamatsu the things she wanted to say. Just now was a perfect example: Akamatsu thought she was annoying Maki. Maki was embarrassed, yes, due to other people looking. But that embarrassment was momentary at best since they were only strangers that would forget the whole thing happened at the end of the day. In other words, Maki couldn’t care less about the opinions of others. 

So what did Maki care about instead? 

She knew the answer. Ever since they started hanging out together, the cause of all her confusing feelings had increasingly been Akamatsu. The more time Maki spent with her, the more she invaded her thoughts and made her feel a wider scope of emotions than she believed possible. They bubbled within her and made her stomach feel light yet uneasy, as if she downed a whole case of ramune all at once. Maki was never prepared to handle such an internal struggle like this. Nothing in her life gave her the experience to say _‘you’re annoying’_ but in a way that didn’t upset or offend Akamatsu. So her lips remained pursed tightly shut, forehead beaded with sweat that wasn’t caused by the summer heat.

For a while they sat, taking turns passing the toothpick between them and eating in silence. Maki was usually ambivalent to silence, and even preferred it to the bustle of people going about their daily activities, but the lack of conversation between them was palpable. Like the hollow ringing that followed firing a gun, a vacuum that left nothing suspended in its midst, the silence that followed was deafening. Akamatsu was no chatterbox like some of their classmates, but she usually had something to say, be it a new boutique that opened downtown or animals she saw in a pet store’s window that she wanted to take home. There was none of that now, as Akamatsu seemed too hesitant to breach another conversation. And Maki had absolutely no idea how to fix it.

Mentally, Maki kicked herself. She was being stupid. In the past, she always had a plan when carrying out a task. Which tools to use, infiltration and escape routes, disguises, and backup plans. Even in the worst-case scenarios where everything went awry, she could rely on her past knowledge and the environment to get herself out of tight spots. Nothing could be solved through inaction, yet here she was, staring at her hands in her lap as if the answer would magically appear in them. So she looked up, looked around, and took stock of her surroundings.

“It’s almost dark out,” Maki murmured aloud. She didn’t realize how much time had passed since they arrived at the festival together, but now she felt the tiredness in her body from the day; the ache in her legs and feet from walking, the pull of her hairdo on her scalp (not that she really felt it; she’d been through much worse, after all). She stabbed the toothpick into a takoyaki ball, and realizing it was the last one, she offered it to Akamatsu.

She shook her head. “Ah, no, I’m okay.”

“Are you sure?” Maki asked. “I ate more than you did. Besides, you seem to like it more.” She recalled the first moment Akamatsu tasted it and how she seemed to enjoy it with her whole body, eyes lighting up like sparklers.

Akamatsu looked like she was about to reject it for a second time, but when Maki pushed it closer to her, she finally relented. “Okay, okay, if you insist.”

But instead of taking back the toothpick like Maki expected, she leaned forward and ate right off it. She wore a pleased expression on her face as she chewed. “Thanks, Maki-san!”

Maybe it was the surprise, or the relief of getting Akamatsu to talk again, that made Maki feel warm even as the cool night air began to set in. She glanced away from Akamatsu. “Ah, yeah.”

Something flashed at the corner of her eye, though, and instinctively her attention honed in on it. Her hair piece tinkled as she whipped her head towards it, up towards the sky. Though just as quickly as she looked at it, it was gone, leaving smoke in its midst.

“A signal flare?” Maki muttered to herself. “Is someone calling for help?

It wasn’t as if Maki expected Akamatsu to answer, but she didn’t expect to hear Akamatsu bursting into a fit of giggles. Bewildered, Maki turned to her sharply. “Akamatsu? Why are you laughing?”

“M-Maki-san—” Akamatsu tried to stifle her giggles with her sleeve, but they continued to spill from her freely. “Th-That was a firework. Where did your idea of a signal flare come from? We’re at a festival!”

When Maki looked back up towards the sky again, it was growing readily apparent that there was, in fact, a fireworks display beginning to start; a volley of small fireworks hurled into the sky with a whistling sound before exploding intermittently. For all the training she had, it seemed she still couldn’t tell the difference between commercial fireworks and military equipment. She gritted her teeth as she tried to defend herself. 

“I only saw it out of the corner of my eye at first.”

Akamatsu hummed in amusement. “It’s okay, you look cute when you’re embarrassed.”

For the umpteenth time that day, Akamatsu called her cute. And as if Maki was conditioned to do so, she flushed hotly and looked away. In an attempt to divert Akamatsu’s attention elsewhere, she blurted, “let’s get closer.”

“Huh? Akamatsu started, eyes wide. “Wh-What do you mean? Like…?”

Akamatsu leaned towards Maki with her hand outstretched like she was reaching for her. For some reason, Akamatsu seemed uncharacteristically nervous, but Maki didn’t know why, nor did she understand why Akamatsu was leaning forward. So she continued, “to the fireworks. Don’t you want to watch them?”

“Oh!” It may have been a trick of the light, a momentary flash and _bang_ of a firework that caused Maki to see things, but for a split second Akamatsu looked… almost crestfallen. Her hand fell to her side as she drew back.

Then Akamatsu had a smile on her face, as if it was there all along. She pumped her fists. “Yeah, let’s go see the fireworks! Every summer festival needs a fireworks show!”

“Yeah…” Maki agreed, unsure of what just happened. But Akamatsu didn’t give her the time to dwell on it—she grabbed her wrist and dragged her away from their bench and towards a nearby park with a lake. Other people had already begun to gather around at the lakefront, laying down blankets to sit on the grass.

“It looks like it’s just about to start. Good thing you spotted that firework so quickly.” Akamatsu turned her head back to look at Maki with a teasing smile. “Even if you thought it was a signal flare at first.”

“Shut it,” Maki muttered, making Akamatsu laugh. She changed the subject quickly. “Let’s find somewhere to sit before this place fills up.”

Akamatsu laughed some more, but she mercifully dropped the subject. “Sure thing!” she said and began to scan their surroundings. 

A moment of searching later, Maki spotted an unoccupied bench located some ways away from everyone else along the lakeshore. She tugged on Akamatsu’s sleeve and pointed it out to her.

“Alright, good spot!” Akamatsu said. 

Thus they sat and watched the sky together. Now the sun had sunk nearly all the way down into the horizon, leaving just a few rays to paint the skies orange in the distance. The rest of the sky was a dark color, the perfect backdrop for the fireworks that exploded and fizzled against it. Gray smoke curled and slowly dissipated as a small breeze swept them away.

It was much cooler now that the sun had set. Though Maki had long sleeves, the thin material of Maki’s yukata provided little protection against the sudden chill the breeze brought. Maybe she was used to the way her hair provided a blanket of sorts against the cold (which she didn’t have now, since her hair was pinned up), or the breeze had become extra cold from blowing over the lake, but Maki felt a shiver run through her body as the wind blew in their direction.

It shouldn’t have been this bad. Maki had been through worse before, but of course Akamatsu had to catch onto every single little detail that was making Maki feel uncomfortable.

“Are you feeling cold, Maki-san?” Akamatsu asked.

“Not really,” Maki lied through her teeth. She never considered herself vulnerable; quite the opposite, actually. She was always capable of withstanding so much more, so why was she feeling like this now of all times? She had been so hot earlier in the day, and now she was feeling chills noticeable enough for Akamatsu to comment upon.

And Maki knew from personal experience that if Akamatsu could say something about something, then she always did something about it. Just as Maki buried her hands into the sleeves of her yukata in a futile attempt to shield them from the wind, Akamatsu slid over from her end of the bench towards Maki. Her arm came over to wrap around Maki’s back, her hand landing along her side and gently pushing Maki into the rest of her warm body. Maki, following the warmth without thinking, leaned into her.

“Better?” Akamatsu asked, her voice gently thrumming against Maki’s ear. And that’s when Maki knew she had leaned too far, because now her head was fully rested against Akamatsu’s shoulder, and it was too late to pick her head back up without making Akamatsu notice.

But, embarrassing as the position was, Maki didn’t necessarily want to pick her head back up again. Part of her did, but the other part of her didn’t. And it just so happened that the part of her that didn’t spoke slightly louder than the part of her that did. 

Feeling the warmth spread all throughout her body, Maki gave her answer to Akamatsu’s question.

“Yes,” she admitted

Just one word, so honest and simple yet made Maki feel warm all the way from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. The nerves in her body hummed quietly, almost contentedly, from all the places Akamatsu’s body touched hers. It was enjoyable, this sort of touch. It wasn’t anything new; if anyone besides Akamatsu tried to loop an arm around her, Maki would have them on the ground in an instant. Yet, despite having witnessed this several times (mostly onto Momota), Akamatsu almost insisted on touching Maki as much as possible. She sidled up to her at lunch. She braided her hair during break. She brushed dirt off her shirt when Maki was certain she was clean. And when study sessions turned into movie nights at her place, Akamatsu would huddle up so close against her under a pile of pillows and blankets that she bumped into Maki each time there was a jumpscare.

In short, tonight was just one of many times that Maki was close enough to Akamatsu to feel her breathe. But as Maki stared into the night sky, she couldn’t bring herself to focus on the fireworks for very long. 

Maki felt something within her stir. It was a curious sensation, the way a sidewalk could be uprooted as a tree’s roots spread throughout the ground. But before she could put a name to that feeling, an especially loud whistle pierced the air. “Maki-san, look!” 

With her free hand, Akamatsu pointed to the sky as a particularly bright light soared into the sky and exploded with a loud _BANG,_ louder than all the ones before it. It fizzled like a hot pan on water for a few seconds before vanishing once more. 

Maki gazed at the cloud of smoke it left behind. The feeling she had climbed to her throat, but the world seemed ignorant of her inner turmoil. Following that large firework, the display began to pick up in earnest, firework after firework launching into the sky. A large red firework exploded into a round of greens and white. Silver sparks glimmered like diamonds against the black sky. Streaks of blue chased each other across the sky as purple and gold exploded in tandem. Soon there was nothing but light and smoke in the air.

Maki watched it all, motionlessly. There was hardly any room to think between each sizzle and _bang_ , yet Maki still remained locked in her head. She felt like she shouldn’t be here, underneath a sky so dark yet bright at the same time. The sounds were familiar enough to her, but she associated them with danger and having to remain constantly vigilant, not leaning against another person for warmth after a long day of festivities. What’s more, her hair was pinned up in a way that felt too heavy on her head and she was wearing clothes she would never put on herself because of the way they restricted her body. If the Maki that entered high school three years ago looked at the Maki right now, she would’ve marched over and immediately tried to tear down everything that was making Maki vulnerable like this.

The question was whether the present Maki would stop her. If the present Maki would let the past Maki pull her to her feet and berate her for letting her guard down. Would the present Maki follow the habits engraved into her mind and end all of this? And by doing so, leave this all behind once she graduated? Was there even a path outside of the one she was raised in?

What had changed?

The answer rang as clearly to Maki as the next volley of fireworks in the sky. Her heart beat in time to her thoughts.

Akamatsu. Akamatsu. Akamatsu.

Like flower petals opening to face the morning sun, the words rose up in Maki’s throat. Still staring at the fireworks, she said, “Akamatsu, I love you.”

Maki had spoken in a voice so low she thought Akamatsu didn’t hear it, but it was apparent in the way she stirred that she did. Maki finally ripped her gaze away from the fireworks to look at Akamatsu properly.

Akamatsu had the most dazzling smile on her face. It was clear from the way her eyes crinkled at the corners how happy she was. “Aww, I love you too!”

Then before Maki could pass out from every atom of her body vaporizing, Akamatsu said, “you’re my best friend, Maki-san!”

Best friend.

Best friend.

Like a balloon being popped, Maki came back down to Earth with the force of a bowling ball against concrete. _Best friend._ Maki may have been socially isolated growing up, but she already knew that she and Akamatsu were close, even if she didn’t understand why at first. Everyone in their class knew, hell, maybe even people from other grades knew from how vocal Akamatsu was about her feelings. For Maki, saying the words ‘best friend’ herself would be hard, but not wrong or impossible. But what she wanted to convey was not just her platonic feelings for Akamatsu, which she felt was already a given, but also her romantic feelings, the fluttering feelings that had made her blush and make a fool out of herself the whole day. Maki didn’t pretend to understand romance, but the thought of continuing to be best friends while silently carrying these feelings in her heart made Maki’s head pound.

So what happened just now was not part of the plan at all. 

Not that Maki had a plan in the first place; it had taken a whole day of getting flustered at the littlest things on top of years of unlocking new emotions courtesy of Akamatsu for Maki to admit that she wanted more of her. More of her smiles, more of her laughs, more of her touches. The revelation had come to Maki so swiftly and suddenly that she didn’t have the time to think before she spoke. But now she did have the time to think in the aftermath of Akamatsu’s star-killing smile, _‘you’re my best friend, Maki-san!’_ ringing in her ears along with the myriad of fireworks that were still exploding in the night sky.

And, fucking hell, Maki’s head _hurt._

Akamatsu had always been understanding of Maki’s feelings. Whenever Maki mustered the will to grit out whatever emotion she was feeling, Akamatsu always thanked her for sharing and helped her through it if she needed it. But now, when Maki pushed out her innermost feelings into the world, they seemed to fly right over Akamatsu’s beautiful head.

“Maki-san?” Above the din of the fireworks (Maki wanted to strangle whoever was still launching them while her head hurt like a bitch), Akamatsu spoke.

Maki’s head felt like cotton. A flat “what.” was all she could muster.

“A-Are you okay? You look a little mad right now,” Akamatsu ventured, then shook her head. “No, really mad. Did… Did I upset you with what I said? I’m sorry if I did.”

At that point, Maki realized how scary she might look. It took a conscious effort to unknit her brows and force her lips into a neutral line. She then had to release her grip her fists had on her yukata. Seeing the wrinkles she left in the fabric, she tried to smooth them over; it wasn’t hers, after all, and borrowed from Akamatsu to boot. The thought of ruining it right in front of Akamatsu as she looked on with such concern put a bad taste in her mouth. 

“...No. Akamatsu, I…”

Words never failed Maki as much as they did in this moment. Her tongue stilled as she struggled to keep her expression from wavering. Would she be able to say _those_ words again if tried now? What if Akamatsu somehow still didn’t get it, and Maki had to choose living with these feelings in silence or discarding them completely? Would Maki have any reason to continue being with Akamatsu after they graduated and went their separate ways?

Maki’s body thrummed with an energy foreign to her. She didn’t want to consider those questions anymore, or try to find the words when she knew she had none. Instead, Maki chose to lean forward and do something that absolutely _had_ to get the message across, or else she’d take a running leap towards the lake and never resurface.

“Maki-sa—”

In one swift motion, Maki yanked Akamatsu closer and crashed her mouth onto hers. Maki’s heart was on fire now, burning as bright and hot as the fireworks in the sky. She could feel every inch of Akamatsu’s lips as they pressed into hers. For a few moments, or maybe forever, Maki kissed Akamatsu, wanting to be with her so badly she couldn’t think. It wasn’t until a hand weakly pushed against her chest did she back off, an unflattering _pwuah_ noise marking their separation.

Maki exhaled in a rush. Her mouth moved before her brain did. “So...Sorry. I didn’t mean—”

Just as suddenly as she spoke though, she stopped herself. She’d definitely be lying if she said she didn’t mean it. Still, Maki felt like she fucked up big time, considering Akamatsu’s wide-eyed expression. In the absence of having anything to say, they stared at each other, not moving, and in Maki’s case, barely breathing. Her heart was in her throat now, cutting off her windpipe and leaving her gaping stupidly like a fish out of water. Maybe diving into the lake wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

But Maki couldn’t stand to leave now without hearing Akamatsu speak again. Akamatsu, however, looked frozen in place. “Akamatsu?” 

This, finally, seemed to snap Akamatsu to attention. 

“D-Don’t,” she said weakly. Her lip wobbled and her eyes shone, and Maki felt like utter shit for putting that expression on her face.

“Sorr—”

And suddenly, Akamastu was flushing bright red. “Don’t you dare call me ‘Akamatsu’ again! If you’re going to kiss me like that, then call me by my first name!”

Her shrill and nearly angry tone pierced Maki right through her heart. Dazed, Maki went, “Aka-?”

_“Kaede!”_ Suddenly all Maki could see was blonde hair and pink cheeks as she invaded her view. Hands flew out to grab Maki’s in a fierce grip. “Call me Kaede, or I’ll never let you k-kiss me again!”

Her voice was that of an angel, a call from heaven that Maki absolutely could not refuse. With equal parts bewilderment and awe, she obeyed. “K-Kaede!”

And then they were kissing again, this time Akamatsu pulling Maki into her; her arms around her shoulders, mouth swallowing any noises of confusion she made. Maki’s brain shut down. She didn't know left from right, up from down, or the symphony of sparks and smoke that blanketed the sky. All she knew was _Kaede,_ and how smooth and soft she was, from her lips to her the way her body melded against hers. Maki chased after her even as they parted again for air, though Kaede stopped her with a gentle hand against her shoulder.

“Maki-s—” Kaede started, then stopped herself. More firmly, she went, “Maki _-chan._ ”

“Kaede,” Maki breathed in response.

This caused Kaede to blush and stutter. “I-I didn’t know you loved me like that. I mean, I always knew you liked me, but I thought it was just as friends, you know?”

“I didn’t know that I l—” the word stuck in Maki’s throat— “that I did either. Not until a minute ago. But I’ve always…”

For the millionth time that day, Maki tried to fidget with her hair. And just like all her other attempts, her hairpin thwarted her, leaving Maki to grip onto the collar of her yukata instead as she flushed. 

Kaede went wide-eyed. “Really?” She began to laugh her beautiful laugh that made Maki feel lightheaded. “I’ve liked you for a while now, actually. But I thought you might not be interested in a romantic relationship, so I never said anything about it.”

“If you asked, I probably wouldn’t have said I wanted one. Not until now.” Maki replied. She was certain of that much; there wasn’t anyone else Maki would ever view in a romantic light, besides Kaede. Though if she thought about her romantically, Maki would’ve shut down on the spot. She just wasn’t ready to admit her feelings until now.

Kaede nodded. “And if you weren’t okay with romance, I would’ve been perfectly happy to be best friends with you. Romantic relationships aren’t automatically better than platonic ones, after all. And...” 

Kaede trailed off, eyes darting away from Maki’s for a moment before meeting them again. Her cheeks were stained a pretty pink color that made Maki’s heart throb. Shyly she continued, “as long as I was with you, then that’s all I need.”

_As long as I was with you, then that’s all I need._

Her words filled Maki to the brim with warmth, like she was stepping into a hot spring. She felt like she was glowing. She began to speak, the words coming out in a rush. “The—The moment I realized I had romantic feelings for you, I couldn’t help but think about graduating. What I’d do once I had no reason to be with you.”

This seemed to shock Kaede. “No reason to be with me? Maki-chan, you’ll always have a reason to be with me!” She pursed her lips, looking solemn. “I don’t think I could handle you leaving me like that.”

“I knew I couldn’t,” Maki said. “Just thinking about it made my head hurt. I thought if I couldn’t tell you now, I’d never be able to. So that’s why I, you know…”

“Kissed me out of nowhere?” Kaede’s tone seemed indignant, but one look at her smiling face told Maki she was teasing her. “Gosh, doing things so suddenly like that; Maki-chan is the worst!”

The corner of Maki’s lip tugged upwards. Speaking without any inflection in her voice, she said, “I don’t regret it.”

Kaede giggled as she led Maki into another kiss. A final round of fireworks exploded above them, and Maki made sure to imprint the smell of smoke and the feeling of Kaede pressing against her in her memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you know that thing girls do when they say they love you but as best friends? everything about this fic led to that premise ahahaha
> 
> Getting into maki's head was a really fun experience! I hope I conveyed her thought process and her reactions accurately to her character. let me know how I did/anything else you want to tell me in the comments!
> 
> also, kaede and maki said aroace rights.


End file.
